Rebels overrun largest military airbase in northern Syria

Rebel fighters on Friday overran Taftanaz airbase, the largest in northern Syria, after several days of fierce combat but immediately came under fire from regime warplanes, a watchdog said.

“The fighting at Taftanaz military airport ended at 6pm HK timeand the base is entirely in rebel hands,” said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.

The base soon thereafter, however, came under aerial attack by government fighter jets, the Britain-based Observatory said in a later statement.

“Warplanes are bombing Taftanaz military airport in an attempt to destroy it,” it said in a statement.

The capture of the base marks a significant advance for the rebels, who control vast swathes of Syria’s north and east and are battling President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in most major cities, including on the outskirts of Damascus.

“This is the largest airbase to be seized since the revolt began” nearly 22 months ago, Abdel Rahman told reporters by phone.